As usual, I have too many ideas that I want to blog about. What usually happens is that I write none of them, so to change that, I'm just going to do a snap shot of all of them.
Some I might get back to, others not.
So, what HAVE I been up to this month?
................reading
50 Shades of Grey (Sorry!)
Read this for my first ever book group meeting. Won't be bothering with the next two. Why? Just a bit boring to be honest - lacked story line behind all the bedroom antics
The Information Diet
Really making me look at my internet habits. Trying to reign these in a bit by giving up blog reading and Facebook for a while. Still got to control the distractions of the web, but it's a start.
Tales of Mystery & Imagination
Edgar Allan Poe's collected tales. Entertaining stories from a twisted mind.
................watching
The Godfather
Finally watched this movie (even this time took two attempts to get through). Can see why it's up there, but not going into my favourites list.
Great Ted talk this month:
The Shared Wonder of film
Definitely encouraged me to watch some other classics (some good suggestions here)
Great British Bake Off
It's back - hooray!
.............learning
Sailing
Something I've been meaning to do for a while. Finally got out in a boat last Sunday on the River Tay. Shame there wasn't a scrap of wind in the air. Next outing planned for next week.
Yoga
Back doing this again now that I've discovered a lunchtime class at work. Hoping to build up a bit of strength (already flexible enough)
...............cooking
Slow pot lamb (now that the butchers is filled with this year's lamb)
Lemon drizzle cake (a fine cake, but needs more raising agent next time)
Wednesday 29 August 2012
Sunday 19 August 2012
Another August, another Edinburgh Fringe
August for me is all about the Fringe. Last year a few big weddings got in the way of doing it properly, but I made up for it this year.
If just to remind myself, this year's shows were:
1st Weekend (just us two):
- Wanderlust
Jim Carey-style story teller tells of his journeys through Africa. Storytelling becomes gripping poetry
- Tumble Circus
Arguing couple do amazing acrobatic/trapeze sequences
- Mat Ricardo
Juggling vaudeville entertainer who alas was a slight let down after last year. But will remember 'security theatre' to describe airports.
- Edgar Allan Poe
Best of his stories strung together in a lunatic asylum
Mid-week (with OU)
- Skeptics on the fringe - Cock & Bull
Statistical/medical slant on penis size and the lengths (!) men go to to increase
2nd Weekend (with OU)
- Domestic Science
Noodles are like litmus paper and Dan Schreiber is a name to watch for. Also got to practise alien drawing on iced doughnut
- We the Chemicals
Stand-up free show in Izzard style, but lacked memorable phrases (wish I could remember some now)
- Numb and Number
Awesome show about numbers, and general world observations. Very funny
- Lullabies to make your children cry
Great storyteller/poet/singer, put off a bit by strong feminist slant. Stories were great.
3rd Weekend (with sis/bro-in-law)
- Supervillain
Single man sketch show - good voices, but sketches weren't as funny as the accents.
- Am I Good Friend?
Crazy 19-year old Australian girl talks about friendship and the Chicken of mystery.
- Young & Strange
Awesome magicians - lots of slight of hand
- Thinking Drinkers Guide to Alcohol
Bishop's Finger Beer, Jagermeister, Rum (Angustura) Gin (Tanqueray), Absinthe, Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Vodka, all in one show with anecdotes of each history
- One man Lord of the Rings
Amazingly voiced whistle stop imitation of all three films in 60 mins. Very funny in places.
- How to predict the future
Edinburgh Skeptics show - half debunking psychic predictions, half magic.
Of course all of this was interspersed with good eating and drinking.
Yesterday's food highlights in particular were La Favourita's pizza van (with proper pizza oven on board), Pubbledub burgers, and the best waffles I've had outside of Germany!
Fortunately I do not have to wait another year for the waffles! Just for another fringe - which after that little lot is probably just as well.
If just to remind myself, this year's shows were:
1st Weekend (just us two):
- Wanderlust
Jim Carey-style story teller tells of his journeys through Africa. Storytelling becomes gripping poetry
- Tumble Circus
Arguing couple do amazing acrobatic/trapeze sequences
- Mat Ricardo
Juggling vaudeville entertainer who alas was a slight let down after last year. But will remember 'security theatre' to describe airports.
- Edgar Allan Poe
Best of his stories strung together in a lunatic asylum
Mid-week (with OU)
- Skeptics on the fringe - Cock & Bull
Statistical/medical slant on penis size and the lengths (!) men go to to increase
2nd Weekend (with OU)
- Domestic Science
Noodles are like litmus paper and Dan Schreiber is a name to watch for. Also got to practise alien drawing on iced doughnut
- We the Chemicals
Stand-up free show in Izzard style, but lacked memorable phrases (wish I could remember some now)
- Numb and Number
Awesome show about numbers, and general world observations. Very funny
- Lullabies to make your children cry
Great storyteller/poet/singer, put off a bit by strong feminist slant. Stories were great.
3rd Weekend (with sis/bro-in-law)
- Supervillain
Single man sketch show - good voices, but sketches weren't as funny as the accents.
- Am I Good Friend?
Crazy 19-year old Australian girl talks about friendship and the Chicken of mystery.
- Young & Strange
Awesome magicians - lots of slight of hand
- Thinking Drinkers Guide to Alcohol
Bishop's Finger Beer, Jagermeister, Rum (Angustura) Gin (Tanqueray), Absinthe, Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Vodka, all in one show with anecdotes of each history
- One man Lord of the Rings
Amazingly voiced whistle stop imitation of all three films in 60 mins. Very funny in places.
- How to predict the future
Edinburgh Skeptics show - half debunking psychic predictions, half magic.
Of course all of this was interspersed with good eating and drinking.
Yesterday's food highlights in particular were La Favourita's pizza van (with proper pizza oven on board), Pubbledub burgers, and the best waffles I've had outside of Germany!
Fortunately I do not have to wait another year for the waffles! Just for another fringe - which after that little lot is probably just as well.
Wednesday 15 August 2012
Olympic cheer
There is one obvious thing that all of us British will look back on this year - the year of the Olympics.
The Jubilee is a distant memory - maybe it was the crowd's version of a warm up?
The Olympics has eclipsed utterly though. 2 weeks of total excitement, filling the papers each day. Me eagerly looking at the medals tables every lunchtime and hometime to see if we'd notched up anymore.
So I'm a total patriot, I genuinely believe Britain is Great, and it was nice to see for once everyone else has come round to my way of thinking.
As well as all our medal success, the opening ceremony stands out for me: I was gripped the whole time, and summed up both my country and my city perfectly.
I was kicking around London at the start of proceedings. London had a lovely buzz to it, and clearly a sense of generosity (I left my phone in the loos at Selfridges Oxford Street, and thought it was a gonna, yet someone wonderful handed in). And the weather was hot and great.
I was there for family reasons. Spending time with distant relatives that I don't get to see much of. Travelling up to London, and more chilling over drinks and food in the sun rather than rush rush rush.
Here's the Thames at Richmond where we paused for cider and Pimms.
And here's the closest I got to the Olympic events (was feeling nice so gave my rowing tickets to my family).
Very civilised way to get to the games - via a boat along the Thames from Windsor Castle!
Everyone was dead surprised at all the friendliness in London and the high spirits. Which is funny, because I think Londoners are really friendly and happy people most of the time anyway - the grumpy commuter image is just a front really.
The Jubilee is a distant memory - maybe it was the crowd's version of a warm up?
The Olympics has eclipsed utterly though. 2 weeks of total excitement, filling the papers each day. Me eagerly looking at the medals tables every lunchtime and hometime to see if we'd notched up anymore.
So I'm a total patriot, I genuinely believe Britain is Great, and it was nice to see for once everyone else has come round to my way of thinking.
As well as all our medal success, the opening ceremony stands out for me: I was gripped the whole time, and summed up both my country and my city perfectly.
I was kicking around London at the start of proceedings. London had a lovely buzz to it, and clearly a sense of generosity (I left my phone in the loos at Selfridges Oxford Street, and thought it was a gonna, yet someone wonderful handed in). And the weather was hot and great.
I was there for family reasons. Spending time with distant relatives that I don't get to see much of. Travelling up to London, and more chilling over drinks and food in the sun rather than rush rush rush.
Here's the Thames at Richmond where we paused for cider and Pimms.
And here's the closest I got to the Olympic events (was feeling nice so gave my rowing tickets to my family).
Very civilised way to get to the games - via a boat along the Thames from Windsor Castle!
Everyone was dead surprised at all the friendliness in London and the high spirits. Which is funny, because I think Londoners are really friendly and happy people most of the time anyway - the grumpy commuter image is just a front really.
Sunday 5 August 2012
A Scottish Jamboree
So, what I have been up to since I last posted?
Well, it is shaping up to be an awesome summer, and to top it all I have received a distinction for my Science course - I now have a certificate in Natural Science!
A couple of weekends ago we were up in Blair Atholl for the bi-annual Scout Jamboree.
Hundreds of Scouts from all over the world descend on Scotland for a fortnight to do usual scout stuff - bushcraft, hiking, climbing, fencing - you name it. But most importantly it seems to be about mixing with people all around the world and making new friends.
Great for any teenager to be a part of.
We went along for the open day. Lots of food stalls from all over the world, where you could stuff yourself for around £2 on chicken teriyaki, Dutch waffles, BBQ lamb, S'mores etc. etc.
In the afternoon we sat in the sunshine and enjoyed looking out over the site.
There are 6 sub camps where the Scots host the international patrols.
Then the evening is rounded off with a good old fashioned campfire and sing-song.
Here's the scouts with some torches of their own ready to light the fire.
Made me reminisce a lot about my guiding days, even if I was never part of anything as big as this. Nice to see Scouting on the increase again and hopefully it's events like this that draw the numbers in.
Well, it is shaping up to be an awesome summer, and to top it all I have received a distinction for my Science course - I now have a certificate in Natural Science!
A couple of weekends ago we were up in Blair Atholl for the bi-annual Scout Jamboree.
Hundreds of Scouts from all over the world descend on Scotland for a fortnight to do usual scout stuff - bushcraft, hiking, climbing, fencing - you name it. But most importantly it seems to be about mixing with people all around the world and making new friends.
Great for any teenager to be a part of.
We went along for the open day. Lots of food stalls from all over the world, where you could stuff yourself for around £2 on chicken teriyaki, Dutch waffles, BBQ lamb, S'mores etc. etc.
In the afternoon we sat in the sunshine and enjoyed looking out over the site.
There are 6 sub camps where the Scots host the international patrols.
Then the evening is rounded off with a good old fashioned campfire and sing-song.
Here's the scouts with some torches of their own ready to light the fire.
Made me reminisce a lot about my guiding days, even if I was never part of anything as big as this. Nice to see Scouting on the increase again and hopefully it's events like this that draw the numbers in.
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